Theme Of Insanity In Shakespeare's Hamlet

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The play, Hamlet, was written by William Shakespeare in 1603. The plot of Hamlet is about this Prince of Denmark slowly slipping into madness over his father’s sudden death, or does he? Hamlet’s madness is conceivably one of the most controversial issues of the play. Additionally, the corruption of the family unit and the kingdom in total being misaligned would drive any reasonable person insane. On the surface, Hamlet’s character seen by all characters, is considered insane by the loss of his father and mother remarrying shortly after. It is only on a subterranean level that the audience, who is watching the play, understands his actions and how he has a method to his madness. Around most of the characters, Hamlet seems very melancholy and possibly insane, meanwhile around …show more content…
Walley’s journal article, Shakespeare’s Conception of Hamlet, he states that Hamlet’s feigned insanity is a thing of super sanity. It isn’t like Ophelia’s actual mental downfall, but “…whatever madness Hamlet exhibits is an integral part of his own mental attitude,” (Walley 779). Willey basically talks about how Hamlet’s obsession with getting revenge on his uncle is his own form of insanity. Walley argues that Hamlet’s madness stems from his inadequacy in life and how he delays following through with his revenge. No matter how mad Hamlet seemed to others, he makes perfect sense to himself. Hamlet’s delay to kill the King is vital to the plot of the whole play, but he cannot follow through with it due to his lack of understanding himself fully; it is entrenched into his character. Essentially, “It is a tale of vain striving and frustrated endeavor whose end is no more than dust and worms’ meat. It is a prison to be fled through suicide, were it not a fear of waking from death’s sleep. This feeling impregnates Hamlet’s thought. It dominates his conduct and is directing force behind his speeches,” (Walley 779). Hamlet is frozen with doubt and it consumes him throughout the
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